Arterial Dissection in Antiphospholipid Syndrome Patients: Two Case Reports and a Literature Review

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a multisystemic autoimmune disease which presents with thromboembolic disease, pregnancy complications and the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. There are some reports of arterial dissections in different sites of the body associated with APS. We describe two patients with APS who developed ischaemic stroke as a result of vertebral artery dissection in the absence of acquired and genetic risk factors for arterial dissection. We also conducted a systematic review of the literature for cases of arterial dissection associated with APS. We suspect that APS may be a potential cause of vasculopathy and arterial dissection. Further research is needed to explore this possible association.

Learning points: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a major risk factor for stroke in young patients.APS may be associated with vasculopathy and arterial dissection.Patients should meet both clinical and laboratory criteria for a diagnosis of APS.